Gazette: “Porn store’s viewing booths raise stink in Springfield”

On June 18 Capital Video underwent a long-awaited violation hearing in Springfield. At issue was the viewing booth entertainment license of its Amazing.net porn shop in Apremont Triangle. This store has been controversial since its installation in 1990. The viewing booths were added in 1992. Several Springfield police officers and undercover detectives testified during the hearing, which lasted for two and a half hours. Capital Video also called witnesses, such as Anthony Nota, its project and construction manager.

Capital Video’s efforts to save its porn viewing booths centered around changes the company has made to its Springfield store since late last year. These include repairing holes between the booths, reinforcing the booth walls with metal plates, increasing the lighting in the booths, cutting the last 18 inches off the booth doors, improving the cleaning of the booths, increasing monitoring of the inside and the outside of the store with cameras, and replacing store personnel.

Nota claimed that Capital Video disapproves of sexual contact between its customers. However, Lesley Rich, general counsel for Capital Video, has been quoted earlier as saying that some Capital Video viewing booths feature retractable “buddy windows”, which strikes us as a euphemism for ‘giant glory holes’. During the hearing, Nota himself said one of the holes in the Springfield viewing booths had been made with a drill, something that we presume would make a lot of noise. More generally, Internet comments from patrons suggest that Capital Video’s stores in Springfield, Kittery, Maine and elsewhere can be popular places for people to meet up for sex, at least when the store management chooses to be lax. And being lax is profitable. As one patron puts it, “theres more money going in the machines with lights off and holes in the walls.”

Springfield police officer Rupert Daniel testified that on January 9 he made an arrest for drug distribution outside Amazing.net (Springfield Republican). He did feel that drug activity has abated since. However, prostitution in the area, according to Daniel, was continuing. As Urban Compass has reported, this kind of activity impedes the revitalization of Apremont Triangle, discourages other businesses from moving in, and is reason enough for Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan to revoke Capital Video’s viewing booth entertainment license. Mayor Ryan, currently running for reelection, may be contacted here.

“We agree and will not dispute that in October and December certain things occurred on the premises that should not have occurred,” said [Northampton attorney Thomas Lesser, representing Capital Video]…

At issue are the 16 enclosed viewing booths police and health officials inspected Oct. 19. Springfield health inspector Steve Stathis reported that all of the viewing booths were found ‘soiled’ at that time and littered with paper towels, tissues, and other debris. The walls, floor and video monitors were stained with what appeared to be bodily fluids, according to Stathis and police.

‘There were seven booths that contained holes in them that appeared to be 2 inches wide,’ Stathis said.

Springfield Detective Martin Germain inspected the store with Stathis and said it was his opinion that the holes were drilled to facilitate sexual acts among people in two separate booths…

Detective Jaime Bruno, who works in Springfield’s vice-control bureau, said he entered one of the video booths Dec. 20 in an undercover operation, and also entered the store on two additional occasions that day. He reported a strong stench of bodily fluids in the viewing booth area, and being groped by customers on all three visits…

‘It’s a never-ending battle,’ said Nota, of preventing customers from altering the booths. ‘We do our best…’

Erica Walch, a neighborhood resident and former president of the civic association testified that she has witnessed prostitution almost daily in the Apremont Triangle and that Capital Video’s store creates an atmosphere of ‘lawlessness in the area.’

‘If the neighborhood is going to be developed, it has to go,’ said Michael Tuckey, a neighborhood resident and the current president of the civic association after Monday’s hearing.

Capital Video and the City of Springfield will now exchange legal briefs, then Mayor Ryan will determine whether viewing booths may remain in the Amazing.net porn shop in Apremont Triangle.

See also:

Urban Compass: Amazing.net Hearing Follow-UpErica Walch was a very good witness and described how she and other women, while walking in the Apremont Triangle area, have had cars stop next to them and ask “Are you working?” which they took to mean that the drivers had mistaken them for prostitutes.

The third time that it did happen to me, I am very firmly convinced that it has a very strong significant high correlation with the pornography. The third time it was another…businessman, but at this time the man was around the age of 50. Rather than ask me if I was a prostitute or how much I cost, he walked right up to me and said, “You are the dancer from the Belmont, aren’t you? I saw you a couple nights ago. You really did a good job.” You don’t know what to say…Massachusetts Health and Human Services: HIV-AIDS Epidemiologic Profile Fiscal Year 2007 (added 6/20/07)October 2006 Fact SheetFrom 1999 to 2005, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS increased by 30%… As of the end of 2005, a cumulative total of 27,631 Massachusetts residents have been diagnosed and reported with HIV infection, with or without an AIDS diagnosis. Of these, 11,665 (42%) have died…

Male-to-male sex and injection drug use are the leading reported risks for HIV infection among people living with HIV/AIDS, accounting for 33% and 27% of all infections, respectively… Among males diagnosed with HIV infection, the proportion of HIV diagnoses with male-to-male sex as the primary reported exposure mode increased from 41% in 1999 to 53% in 2005.

Most booths in arcade have glory holes, many times you can share a booth, have recieved some of the best blow jobs in my life here. Always some action going on. It’s got 20 booths, 3 large glory holes, several peep holes

Squirt member comments suggest Amazing.net’s Springfield store cycles between being (profitably) permissive, then restricting activities to avoid being shut down by the city. Similar cycles are hinted at in the comments about Amazing.net’s Kittery, Maine store (explicit). Lasting changes appear to have taken hold only when Kittery passed health regulations and removed the doors from the viewing booths. Here are some of the recent comments on the Springfield store:

finghorny, 6/2/06: glory holes closed up again somone bring some tools and reopen them

pornman, 8/3/06: stopped by tonight to see whats up, the holes have been reopened !!!!!!!!! had a nice time.

justme03, 11/30/06: was there wed day 1:30ish busy but holes are closed and very bright now all the light in the hall or on. dont they know theres more money going in the machines with lights off and holes in the walls

a1buttmuncher, 12/5/06: They have been cited by the city and had to close up the holes and they are keep a close eye on the back. The lights are up and if they see you opening doors they will throw you out. They are very serious I witnessed the manager throwing out a guy I saw there all the time. Be careful and discreet or you will not place to play during the cold winter months. I agree that it is not really worth the time with the bright lights and no holes but they will be back eventually. Be Patient!

On January 30, two detectives went inside dressed in plain clothes and equipped with the ultraviolet light, as well as collection material. They entered booths, closed the doors, turned on the ultraviolet light and observed what appeared to be tremendous amounts of body fluids on all three walls and on the floor. The next night, the detectives followed the same procedure. Samples were sent to the Main Street Lab and on February 13, 2006, he received the results confirming that all swabbings taken in the four booths contained semen. The Chief said their informant told them that on numerous occasions he had tried to clean but had not been given any information on how to wash the areas properly. Police Chief Strong said he believed the collection of material they made, along with the lab results, showed beyond a reasonable doubt that there were body fluids being exchanged or deposited that other people were exposed to and asked Council if they had any questions.

Portsmouth Herald, 6/1/06: “Porn retailer faces big fines” (added 6/20/07)In a letter sent to [Kittery Town Manager Jon] Carter in January, Lesley S. Rich, the company’s general counsel, stated that Capital Video Corp. “is very sensitive to the needs of the communities in which we do business.

“It is a strict policy that our employees consistently police the property surrounding (Amazing.net), and we will double our efforts to (ensure) that this is done on a routine basis,” the letter reads.

“David B. Panagore, chief development officer for the Springfield Finance Control Board, agreed with an assertion by Tuckey [Michael M. Tuckey Sr., president of the Armoury-Quadrangle Civic Association] that a sex-oriented video and products store discourages companies that could revitalize the area from moving in.”

Sexual Ecology: Porn, Promiscuity, and AIDS (explicit language)Rotello observes that all infectious diseases are ecological. The human behavioral environment is as important a factor as the biological properties of the virus. Variations in technology and culture explain why the same virus will remain rare in one population but start an epidemic in another. Epidemics depend on the infectivity of the virus, its prevalence in the community, and the rate of contact between the core group of infected people and the general population…

“…Based on the evidence, I have no doubt that if owners of commercial sex establishments had to file ‘epidemiological impact statements’ proving that they would not harm gay sexual ecology before they could get or renew their licenses, very few would be allowed to operate.” (p.199)

US Court of Appeals Upholds Minneapolis Regulation of Porn Viewing BoothsThe affidavits and testimony of Minneapolis law enforcement officers, health care experts, and appellant Campbell, clearly establish that booths in adult bookstores are used for fellatio and anal intercourse, both deemed high risk sexual activity by the ordinance. Officer Severson testified to seeing hundreds of instances of sodomy, indecent exposure, and prostitution in the booths of adult bookstores over the past six years. (Motion Hearing on Preliminary Injunction Tr. 156-57). Officer Ronald Christianson, also a member of the Minneapolis Police Department, in an affidavit submitted to the council, stated that the booths in the adult bookstores in his precinct were unsanitary and provided opportunities for indecent exposure, oral sex, and anal sex. (Jt.App. at A.122-24)…

Although we recognize that this ordinance cannot by itself prevent the spread of the AIDS virus in Minneapolis, we believe that it will serve to reduce high risk conduct leading to the spread of AIDS. Further, we believe that this is a situation where a “city must be allowed a reasonable opportunity to experiment with solutions to admittedly serious problems.”

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NoPornNorthampton aims to increase awareness about the impact of porn on people and communities. We support the reasonable regulation of sexually oriented businesses in Northampton, Massachusetts and elsewhere. We ask businesspeople to balance profits with compassion. We do not advocate increasing government censorship of porn. For our positive vision of sexuality, visit GreenSexuality.com.